Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project: A Thousand Pebbles
One Trick Dog
Ben Rosenblum could have titled his new Nebula Project release Kites and Strings Vol. II, considering how much A Thousand Pebbles feels like a natural extension to that well-received and artistically satisfying debut. No one who cottoned to that 2020 set will complain, however, when the rewards and satisfactions are as plentiful on the follow-up. Once again, the leader augments his piano and accordion playing with a gifted crew of like-minded compatriots. Joining Rosenblum's core unit of trumpeter Wayne Tucker, guitarist Rafael Rosa, bassist Marty Jaffe, drummer Ben Zweig, and Jasper Dutz on alto sax and bass clarinet is tenor saxist and flutist Xavier Del Castillo, the versatile, quick-on-its-feet septet tackling the leader's originals (plus one Antonio Carlos Jobim cover) with gusto.
There's jazz for sure, but the musicians intrepidly delve into forms associated with Ireland, Bulgaria, and Northern Brazil—the kind of project where turning from the infectious bossa nova swing of Jobim's “Song of the Sabia” to “Implicit Attitude,” an endearing contrafact of the Davis-Evans tune “Boplicity,” seems the most natural thing in the world. When it comes to the accordion, Rosenblum's no dilettante. He gave himself fervently to it about seven years ago and studied with Brazilian master Vitor Gonçalves to facilitate his development. The move proved valuable in other ways too when it became a gateway to multiple musical forms—klezmer, Romanian, South American, et al. Stated otherwise, accordion isn't treated as a novelty on the recording but an integral part of the Nebula Project identity.
The breezy opener “Catamaran” instantly endears with a bright solo piano intro and rapturous vibe. The benefits that accrue from having two woodwinds and trumpet on board also rapidly crystallize when the three punctuate the tune's invigorating rhythms with lustrous statements, intertwining patterns, and singing unison phrases. Part of the composition was written in Croatia, which helps conjure the image of people armed with hopes and dreams making their way to a new home. A late-inning surprise arrives in the form of an accordion-driven jig that'll make you feel like you've been transported to an Irish pub.
Rosenblum's ambitious side comes to the fore during the four-part title suite, which quickly advances from a regal trumpet-driven intro into a heady exercise in hard bop (“Road to Recollection”), the outfit demonstrating an authoritative grasp of the form and Zweig's muscular drive calling to mind the late, great Ralph Peterson. Less frenetic is “The Gathering,” a serene meditation distinguished by sensitive interplay, and the stately, gospel-styled expression with which the suite rousingly ends, “Living Streams.”
Inspired by the leader's affection for the vocal ensemble Les Voix Mysteres des Bulgares and featuring a stinging solo turn by Rosa, “Bulgares” weaves clarinet, accordion, trumpet, and percussion into an exhilarating performance that evokes the fury of a matador's sweeping movements. Jaffe enjoys a nice moment in the spotlight when he opens “The Bell from Europe” with a striking arco bass statement, the plaintive theme he articulates addressed separately by piano, trumpet, saxophone, and guitar when not voiced in unison. Further testifying to the outfit's range is the film noir-styled “Lilian,” its mysteries deepened by Dutz's bass clarinet and Tucker's muted horn. This is an outfit that can seemingly tackle anything and do it exceptionally well. However inadequate a term it is to describe the poly-stylistic zone Nebula Project inhabits, “global jazz” at least begins to capture the open-ended mindset and musical adventurousness in play—the radiant, high-spirited workout “The Village Steps” an especially apt illustration. Musical boundaries dissolve throughout the release, and A Thousand Pebbles is all the better for it.March 2023